Man in handcuffs (Source: Pixabay)
Two Texas men arrested over Volkswagen Beetle thefts were tracked by AirPods, iPhone insurance fraud, and a MacBook Air in a pool make up this week’s Apple Crime Blotter.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
Car theft suspects caught thanks to AirPods
Two Texas men were arrested for the theft of a Volkswagen Beetle in Southern California. A pair of AirPods left in the car were used to track them down.
According to KTLA, police tracked the thieves’ “every move” thanks to the signal, eventually tracking them to a shopping plaza. Both were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to commit a crime.
A man in Milford, Connecticut, has been accused of defrauding insurance companies through a scheme in which he and accomplices purchased insurance on iPhones and then filed false claims.
Patch reports the fraud took place over five years. When the man’s home was searched, police found several iPhones, most of which were never activated.
He was charged with first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, and insurance fraud.
Pennsylvania man accused of AirTag stalking
A man in Indiana, Pa., was arrested after police say he used an AirTag to stalk an ex-girlfriend.
According to WJAC, the woman noticed something was awry when she got in her car, and an AirTag attempted to connect with her phone. She later found the AirTag duct taped to the car’s wheel well. The man was charged with a felony for criminal use of a communication facility, stalking, and harassment.
The neighboring state of Ohio, in December, passed a law banning AirTag stalking.
Child’s iPad stolen at NBA game
A nonverbal 12-year-old attending aDetroit Pistons game to celebrate his birthday had his iPad stolen.
Fox 2 explains the iPad is the boy’s primary means of communication. Find My was of no use as whoever took the iPad appeared to have turned off the location.
The family filed a report with Little Caesars Arena security. In the meantime, a nonprofit that knows the family has agreed to replace the iPad.
India security agency denies man’s story about Apple Watch theft
A doctor based in Gurugram, India made a viral claim in late January that his Apple Watch was stolen at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
However, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has denied the claim, even producing CCTV footage of the man putting the Apple Watch back on his wrist.
According to The Hindu, the doctor “identified the alleged thief and his accomplice as belonging to a minority community.” He has since deleted the post.
Posting of such unsubstantiated messages creates unnecessary apprehension in the minds of passengers, hence avoidable. (2/2)
— APS – CISF (@CISFAirport) January 26, 2025
iPad left in the back seat helps police track down four-year-old
The theft of an SUV with a small child in it in Philadelphia at the end of January ended with his rescue, thanks to an iPad.
KYW reports a woman had left her Toyota RAV 4 running with her four-year-old son inside, after which a thief got into the car and drove off. Police tracked the child’s iPad, finding the car just a few blocks away, with the thief gone but the child sleeping in the back.
Two men who police say broke into nearly a dozen vehicles and stole a car in Sumner County, Tennessee, were caught after they followed an AirTag that had been left in a child’s backpack.
According to WKRN, the backpack was in the car that had been stolen, and police followed the signal to Nashville, leading to the arrest of the thieves.
Both suspects had “checkered criminal histories,” police said.
Man accused of stealing MacBook Air, throwing it in pool
An 18-year-old North Carolina man has been accused of breaking into a car, stealing a MacBook Air, and later throwing it into a swimming pool.
WCTI said the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office tracked the stolen device and contacted the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. who searched a home and found the computer in the swimming pool. The MacBook Air was then returned to its owner.
The man was charged with several crimes, including felony breaking and/or entering a motor vehicle, misdemeanor larceny, and two counts of injury to personal property.
